GYPSY Previews — Page 21

seeseveryshow2 said: "Front row center should be fine. I sat in second row center. Fantastic to be so close and it’s a terrific show.


The stage is not high as it is elsewhere. You should have no trouble unless you are really short.

Go for it."

Awesome. Thanks for the reply!

binau said: "The way Audra is so manically excited in the line readings "ooohhh Herbie you're right, you're right Herbie this is for the best.." onwards is so chillingly done. It really is amazing to have a first class actress in this role."

Her line readings--her creation of a character that we can actually recognize... its masterful. Audra's Rose is a stage mom we recognize from reality tv, but with a desperation appropriate for the depression, and then a descent into madness when shes spurned by her daughter (in act 1, and then again more completely in act 2). i cant believe people have overlooked the skill/craft because her voice sounds like it sounds.

Damn this was bad.
The ugliest set I’ve ever seen on Broadway.

A lead who cant sing the score.

Everything about this revival is misjudged. I really hope they don’t get away with it when reviews come out.

"... to say Audra McDonald"can't sing the score" is absurd beyond words."

This!

For those who are finding fault with Ms.McDonald's singing in this production, I just have to ask, "What did you expect her to sound like?". She has a very well-documented 30 year career of singing that chronicles her extraordinary vocal talents. From all of the kvetching on this board you would think she was attempting to sing Norma or Tosca! There is something wrong with a world that can't enjoy an artist at the height of her powers challenging herself artistically and challenging us to hear something new in what we thought we knew. I've only heard a bootleg of her Roses Turn recorded last week, but to my ears, she is not imposing a vocal technique onto this music. She is finding Rose's voice through the lyrics first, notes be damned. It sounded thrilling and terrifying and gorgeous. What it did not sound like was how anybody else had sung it previously. Which was exactly what I was expecting.

I think folks need to spend more time actively practicing the assumption of positive intent. Nobody onstage or backstage at the Majestic is actively trying to yuck your yum with this production. They are all displaying their talent and being vulnerable and giving of themselves because they love what they do, they love this story, and they love connecting with audiences. I wish them nothing but the best in their work this week before freezing the show this weekend!

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Saw this again tonight for the first time since the first preview. For everyone wondering what's changed, the answer is virtually nothing. Things are running a bit tighter and the audience was thankfully pretty mellow so no continuous SCREAMING by people desperate to be noticed. The one thing that has changed is Audra's performance which she has obviously been working on and is developing her Rose, to which she's found some really great new moments - her "Rose's Turn" now is pretty thrilling, I felt and I hope she can find other moments to make as intense as she did that one. Unfortunately though, there's just so much else that needs to be worked on and seeing as in the past three weeks it hasn't been and they open next week - this is going to be what it's going to be. All the talk of Wolfe using the preview period to make all of these substantial changes didn't happen here and it's a shame.

Oh and the fact that they're still using that GOD DAMNED passerelle just pisses me off. Everyone bobbing their heads to be able to see when they could have just performed at the foot of the actual stage for everyone to see clearly.

Updated On: 12/11/24 at 12:31 AM

Yuuuuuuuup.

I saw this last week and it just wasn't good at all. Even Audra can't save it.

Dolly80 said: "joevitus said: "Dolly80 said: "Damn this was bad.
The ugliest set I’ve ever seen on Broadway.

A lead who cant sing the score.

Everything about this revival is misjudged. I really hope they don’t get away with it when reviews come out."

From her performance of Rose's Turn that we all listened to when the show was first announced, I'd agree she doesn't have the "right" voice for this role, but to say Audra McDonald"can't sing the score" is absurd beyond words."

It's really not at all actually. she's not above criticism just because she has some Tony awards.

She's a star, and a brilliant actress and singer- but this score is not a good fit for her voice. She can belt to a certain point and then it suddenly turns into a soprano voice. It's jarring and not how this should be sung.

Also the overture playing while people walk in and chat is just terrible. It's like the director has no respect for the material."

With all due respect, Audra can hit every note in this show on pitch. So, she can sing it. I understand you not liking her take on it.

Also once the overture begins to the final curtain, if the show runs even a minute or two over the 3 hour mark the production goes into golden overtime for all union contracts. Since I believe the show as played now runs 2:55 I think it's a practical consideration unless they cut something from the script or have the cast wave goodby to the audience at the end as the curtain comes down :)

Can't they open the house 5 minutes early?

If they can’t find a few minutes of extra time in a sluggish 3 hour production (which they should purely for the sake of the audience) I don’t know what to say. I also agree that it felt like we get in too late - I thought ok maybe the majestic renovation and teething problems etc. but no I think maybe it’s just incompetence.

That said, I’m low key hoping that the reviews are kind enough and the ‘punishment’ for the missteps in this production is reflected in a lack of tony nominations etc except some key acting parts really. It’s all very well for us to fight ‘within the family’ but a terrible reviewed Gypsy probably does more harm than good for the show and brand.

It’s still Gypsy. It’s still professional. It still works.